Mustaqbal Slams Raad Remarks as 'Return to Rhetoric of Black Shirts, May 7'
Al-Mustaqbal parliamentary bloc on Tuesday described a verbal attack by Hizbullah MP Mohammed Raad against Mustaqbal movement leader ex-PM Saad Hariri as a “return to the rhetoric of 'black shirts' and the May 7 coup.”
“The statements of its officials have once again revealed that Hizbullah is not only seeking to torpedo any internal settlement but also to prevent the election of a new president and paralyze the work of Lebanon's constitutional institutions with an ultimate goal of ending its democratic formula,” said the bloc in a statement issued after its weekly meeting.
“In this regard, the bloc condemns in the strongest terms the remarks that were voiced by Loyalty to Resistance bloc chief MP Mohammed Raad, who expressed Hizbullah's rejection of any domestic settlement on the issue of the presidential vote, in a statement that retracts recent calls by the party's secretary-general” Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, Mustaqbal added.
“As much as these remarks carry threats to Lebanese political figures, they also signal a return by the party to the rhetoric of 'black shirts' and the May 7, 2008 coup,” the bloc said.
It was referring to Hizbullah's 2008 armed takeover of west Beirut's streets and some areas of Mt. Lebanon and the famous 2011 unarmed show of force, when black-clad Hizbullah members roamed Beirut streets -- a move the party's critics say it intimidated Druze leader MP Walid Jumblat's bloc into naming Najib Miqati for the premiership instead of Hariri.
“Hizbullah wants to isolate and eliminate a large group of the Lebanese because it is standing as a firm bulwark in the face of the party's attempts to seize full control of Lebanon,” Mustaqbal added.
“Raad's remarks reflect a renewed attempt to topple what's left of the hopes of the Lebanese regarding security and national and economic stability,” it said.
The bloc however reassured that it will remain “keen on domestic accord with the aim of strengthening Lebanon's independence, sovereignty and democratic system.”
“It will confront any attempt to keep Lebanon hostage of regional policies aimed at practicing hegemony over the country and over the Arab region,” Mustaqbal vowed.
“We reiterate the call for Hizbullah to return to its Lebanese and Arab identity,” it added.
Raad had waged a blistering attack on Hariri without naming him on Monday, saying “those who are suffering from bankruptcy in their exile must not find a place to return to in Lebanon in order to rob the country once again.”
He also fired at Hariri's presidential initiative that involves nominating MP Suleiman Franjieh for the presidency, noting that “the issue is not about a person whom we would give the presidential post to without him having any powers to rule the country with.”
“All of the powers would be usurped by the person who is entrusted with preserving the interests of this kingdom or that state,” Raad added, referring to Hariri and Saudi Arabia.
The latest remarks come amid a war of words between Hizbullah and al-Mustaqbal linked to the Saudi-Iranian row that was triggered by Riyadh's execution of senior Shiite dissident Sheikh Nimr al-Nimr.
Y.R.
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